Grethcel Soltones knows how to score. Whether it was through serves coming from her patented whirling jump approach, or simply smashing spikes past feeble opposing defenses, the San Sebastian College Lady Stag gets her points easily.
Not everyone can be like Grethcel; take her teammates for example. While the two-time NCAA MVP can easily drop 20 markers even without shoes on, the rest of the Lady Stags sometimes look like they need an extra on their shoes.
During NCAA Season 91, San Sebastian swept the elimination round. In nine matches, Soltones scored at least 30 points thrice and easily averaged near 25 points per game. The rest of the Lady Stags got their points in, contributing around five to nine points to help get to the 25 points needed to win a set.
“Si Soltones kaya gumawa ng 10 points sa isang set. Ang hinihingi ko na lang sa teammates niya eh paghatian na lang nila ‘yung 10 points pa ulet na kailangan namin sa isang set kasi, malamang, makakakuha kami ng lima man lang sa errors ng kalaban,” San Sebastian’s longtime head coach Roger Gorayeb once said.
During the NCAA Finals, the Lady Stags were exposed. While Soltones still managed nearly 30 points per match, her teammates had been shut down. Their opponents, the College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers, were a well-oiled, balanced machine. Although the Lady Stags had a massive thrice-to-beat advantage, Benilde still came away with the title.
Other than scoring, Soltones also knows that her team works best when everyone contributes. While getting 30 points boosts a resume, winning is always more important, especially with Soltones, who plays for a school with a rich volleyball tradition.
During the on-going Shakey’s V-League Open Conference, the Lady Stags have turned a page and heeded Soltones’ call for teamwork.
The Lady Stags just finished group action on top with a 3-1 record. In three of those matches, at least two other Lady Stags not named Soltones have scored in double-digits. Open hitter Denice Lim, middle blocker Kath Villegas, and utility hitter Nikka Dalisay have emerged as reliable offensive options.
“Ang sama naman po kasi pakinggan na one-woman team kami, ‘di ba?,” Soltones told Tiebreaker Times. “Hindi naman kasi magiging madali sa amin kung alam ng kalaban kung sino lang ‘yung babantayan ng depensa.”
“Magiging marami po ‘yung oppurtunity ng mga teammates ko. May tiwala naman po ako sa lahat sa amin na kaya naming makapag-contribute lahat para manalo.”
The Lady Stags will move on to the next round, where they are set to take on UAAP teams FEU, UST, and UP. A good showing in the SVL could greatly boost San Sebastian’s confidence heading into NCAA Season 92, Soltones’ last.
Facing the prospect of being one of the first players to leave San Sebastian without an indoor championship since Roger Gorayeb took over, Soltones relishes in the pressure.
“Nasa sa player naman po kung paano magre-respond sa pressure. Lagi naman po kasing may pressure.
“May tiwala po ako sa team ko ngayon na darating kami doon sa level na kailangan namin para sa NCAA,” she closed.
